Текст книги "Berries and Greed"

Автор книги: Lily Mayne

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 31 (всего у книги 33 страниц)

“Everything okay here, Beryl?”

Fear tightened my stomach. Fuck.

“Everything’s fine.” My voice shook with suppressed anger. Even with my boss’s presence, I couldn’t bring myself to give Agma a polite smile. “Let me know if you need a top-up.”

Snatching up the card machine, I turned and walked quickly to the register to put it back. I tried counting backward from five in my head to calm down, but it didn’t work. Especially when I realised Mani had followed me.

“Hey.” She squeezed my shoulder, but it just made me even tenser. “Come with me.”

Fuck. I didn’t know what she’d heard, but it must have been clear that I was arguing with Agma. With a customer. God, I’d been so unprofessional. I should have just walked away when she’d made an attempt to end the conversation. What had I even gained from calling her out on what she’d done? I didn’t feel any better, and it wasn’t like it made a difference to Greid. She’d already made him feel self-conscious over what he liked. She’d already told people.

I didn’t say anything as I stiffly followed Mani toward the back office. But then she turned, heading down the corridor to the restrooms, and kept going to the door marked PRIVATE ENTRY at the end.

“Have I told you that Ron and I live above the bar?” she asked conversationally as she produced a key and unlocked the door.

“No. I don’t think so.” I fell silent again, wondering why she was taking me up to her apartment. Maybe to reprimand or fire me in private, without the risk of Gavin or Kayr wandering into the back office while she was doing it.

“It was a dump when we moved in, but Ron’s great at DIY. He fixed the place up beautifully.”

I followed her up the staircase to another locked door, my head throbbing with anger and tension as I waited for her to open it.

She stepped back after the door swung inward. “Come on in.”

I walked inside in silence, taking in the exposed brick walls and industrial-chic décor. The TV was on, showing a dropball game, and I realised Ron was drinking a beer on the couch when he peered back.

“Oh, hey, Beryl.”

“Hi.” I was strung too tight to say anymore.

“We’re going up to the roof, babe,” Mani told him as she opened the fridge in the tiny kitchen and pulled out two beer bottles.

“’Kay.” He looked at me again. “You alright, pipsqueak?”

“Difficult customer.” Mani answered for me as she clapped me on the shoulder and nodded at a staircase tucked into the corner of the open-plan room.

I followed her up it, feeling Ron’s concerned gaze on my back, and looked around in surprise when we emerged onto a rooftop terrace. A black metal table and chairs sat beneath trellising that was dripping with fairy lights, and plants of all shapes and sizes were crammed together along the entire length of the raised roof lip.

“Ron’s got a green thumb,” Mani told me with a chuckle as she pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. “I kill everything.”

I walked over to another chair and stiffly sat. “It’s lovely up here.”

“Thanks. He works hard on it.” She twisted off the beer caps and handed me a bottle. “So. Who was that?”

I tensed up again, running my thumb over the condensation on the dark glass. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. You’re fine, Beryl. I just thought you might want to talk about it. Or at least take a break to cool off.” She chuckled. “You looked about ready to sock her in the mouth.”

I had been, even though Agma had seemed surprisingly contrite. She hadn’t sneered or been all that dismissive over hurting Greid, but I’d just been too angry.

“She’s Greid’s ex, but it wasn’t just… bitchy squabbling.” I wanted to make that clear. “She told her friends some personal stuff about Greid after they split up, and when I realised it was her, I just… I got really fucking mad.”

“I see.” Mani took a sip of her beer and waited for me to continue.

“It just made me really angry that she and her friends made him feel like shit for who he is,” I blurted, ripping at the label on my beer bottle. “Things he has no control over. Things he should never feel like shit for. It just… It feels like she couldn’t accept him for who he is, so she punished him for it. For not being who she wanted him to be.”

I was breathing hard, my eyes burning. I took a long gulp of beer, wrinkling my nose at the unfamiliar sour taste.

“He told her things, private things that were hard to share, and she made him feel ashamed for them.” I gripped my beer too tight. “It just… It was an awful thing to do.”

After a moment of silence, Mani cleared her throat. “Yeah. It sounds like it. But at least he has you fighting in his corner now.”

When I didn’t say anything, instead choosing to take another big gulp of beer, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table between us.

“Beryl, I hope you know that… well, that I accept you for who you are.”

I looked up at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

She gave me a tiny smile. “I mean this seems like it’s about more than just what that woman did to Greid. I mean that… wherever you came from, whatever your past is, I don’t judge you for it. Whatsoever. I don’t care.”

My heart gave a sickly thud, hairline prickling as I stared at her.

She knows.

Licking my dry lips, I tried to think of something to say. Eventually, I heard myself croak, “You… You know about…”

“About The Order, yeah.” Mani sighed and sat back. “I’ve known from the beginning. Ever since you told me you used to work for Orderly Winemakers, the first time you came into the bar. I already knew who it was run by.”

I thought I might throw up. This was what I’d been dreading. This was what had worried me so much. My past catching up with me, infiltrating my new life, ruining things for me—

“I checked their website before I called Violet.” Mani shot me a rueful smile. “You’re in one of the photos on there.”

“What?” My vision whited out with horror. “No. No, no. I told Violet not to use any of the photos with me after they did that stupid photoshoot in the vineyard. She promised she hadn’t. She even showed me herself.”

“Hey, relax.” Mani stretched a hand across the table. “You’re only tiny, in the background. You must’ve both missed it. But I spotted your hair straight away. No one’s going to recognise you unless they’re looking for you, Beryl. You’re fine.”

“I have to tell her to take it down.” I was already fumbling for my phone in my apron pocket. What if someone else looked on there?

“Wait, Beryl. Let me finish first.”

Taking a breath, I forced myself to put my phone on the table and look at her, part of me dreading what I’d see in her eyes.

“When I called Violet, I asked her flat-out about The Order. I didn’t ask about you specifically—that felt like an invasion of privacy. But she… she said some things that made what she was trying to tell me clear without actually telling me. If you get me.”

“I don’t. What… what did she say?”

“She said she’d already been with The Order when you… came into her care. That she raised you. That you’d had an unfair start in life and made the best of what you could. That you’re trying your best to make a proper life for yourself now.”

My face burned. I felt too hot and flushed—stripped raw. Exposed.

“What I’m trying to say is…” Mani reached across the table and gripped my arm. “I’ve never judged you. Not for a second. And I wanted to help you get that new start in life, because you deserve it. That was why I offered you the trial shift, but that wasn’t why I hired you. I hired you because you’re a hard worker, and you’re friendly and fun to work with and just…” She shrugged. “A decent person.”

I couldn’t speak past the lump in my throat, not sure what I was supposed to be feeling.

“And I want you to know that Ron is the only person I’ve told.” She gave me a sheepish look. “Sorry. I tell him everything. He doesn’t judge you for it either. We both think you’re amazing, actually. I can’t imagine how tough it was taking that leap.”

“I…” My voice was hoarse, throat dry. “I don’t mind that Ron knows. And… thank you. It has been tough. I couldn’t… I couldn’t have done it without Greid, honestly.”

My voice cracked, making me duck my head in embarrassment. Mani just squeezed my arm.

“Well, it sounds like you give him just as much as he gave you. I have no idea how you two met—and I definitely would not say no to hearing that story someday—but he sounds like a great guy.”

“He is,” I said.

I loved him. I loved him so much, and I wanted to tell him. Right now.

As if she’d read my mind, Mani patted my arm before sitting back and picking up her beer. “Finish your drink and head home, buddy. I’ve sprung a lot on you. It’s quiet tonight. We’ll manage.”

“Are you sure?” I asked quickly, picking up my drink to guzzle it down. Usually I’d refuse, wanting to be the hardworking and conscientious employee, but I was desperate to get home as soon as possible.

“Yep. I’ll drag Ron away from the game if we get a sudden rush of yuppies.” Mani chuckled, tipping back her own beer. “You’ve got a shift tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, I’m in tomorrow.” I put down my empty bottle and picked up my phone, fiddling with it anxiously as I stood. “Am I… am I in trouble for arguing with Agma at the bar?”

Mani laughed, standing up and collecting our empty bottles. “Hell no. Sounds like she deserved it.”

“Do you think she’s still down there?”

“Could be, but I don’t think she’ll be making any effort to pick your conversation back up,” Mani said dryly. “I think you put her in her place.”

I flushed. “I promise I wasn’t all that rude—”

“Babe, we’ve had staff start full-on brawls with customers before.” Mani opened the door and gestured for me to head through. “Couple of years ago, some douche hit on Kayr’s girlfriend while she was waiting for him to finish his shift. Kayr vaulted across the bar to punch him in the face.”

“Kayr?” I gawked at her. “Seriously?”

“Oh yeah. Quiet dude, but he has a hair trigger when it comes to Jesi. They’re engaged now.” Mani nudged me as we made our way down the stairs. “I think she liked it. Couldn’t drag him home fast enough.”

I laughed. “Well, that’s certainly in-keeping with what you hear about demiurgus.”

“Yeah, we can be an aggressive bunch. Sounds like your Greid is a sweetheart, though.”

“He is.” He was perfect. My sweet, kind, generous demiurgus, who didn’t have an aggressive bone in his body.

And it was time for me to tell him that I was in love with him.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter Forty-Seven

Greid

“Don’t team up with him, you idiot!” I yelled at the TV around the joint between my lips. “He’s already formed an alliance with that other dude! They’re gonna double cross you!”

I was watching a reality show where humans were taken to an underground cave network and competed to survive like the Deep Earth demiurgus ancestors. They had to forage for food, build safe nests, and try and work out where these big artificial jewels were buried to receive rewards. They all had demiurgus mentors on hand, and had to take part in challenges like hanging from stalactites for as long as possible, or eating bugs.

I was a little addicted to it.

Sliding lower on the couch, I stretched an arm out to reach for the last egg roll on the coffee table and stuffed it into my mouth. I was in my true demiurgus form, which meant my snout was long enough for me to leave the joint between my lips and eat at the same time.

I rolled my eyes when one of the humans on screen retched as she watched her fellow competitor stuff a fat grub into his mouth with a grimace.

“Come on, dude,” I told her around my mouthful. “It’s just protein.”

My siblings and I used to dare each other to eat all kinds of shit we came across while playing outside. Well, usually it was Nuni daring me and calling me a wimp if I said no, but my sister Daga would come to my defence and call him a wimp if he didn’t do it too. I had fond memories of his mouth swelling up after he ate a wasp one time, because it’d made it hard for him to talk for the rest of the day.

I jumped when I heard the front door being unlocked and slammed shut a few seconds later. I fumbled with my phone, suddenly worried that I’d lost track of time and been late meeting Beryl after her shift, but it was only nine. She wasn’t meant to finish for another few hours.

My face screwed up when I saw I had a text from Agma. What the hell did she want?

Just as I was deciding whether or not to open it, Beryl appeared in the living room doorway, still in her coat and boots with a strange look on her face.

“Hey.” I struggled upright, shoving back my messy hair. “Are you okay? How come you’re home earl—”

“I need to tell you something.”

My gut shrivelled up with apprehension. What could be so important that she’d left work early to tell me?

Had she been fired for some reason? I couldn’t see how that would be possible. Fuck, did she want to move out?

“Okay.” I swallowed, stubbing out my joint and muting the TV.

Beryl’s face went pink as she shifted anxiously from foot to foot. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.

“I love you,” she blurted a second later, hands screwing up into fists at her sides. “I’m in love with you. I have no idea if there’s some rule I don’t know about that says you have to wait a certain amount of time before saying that, or if it’s weird to feel that way about you when it hasn’t been all that long, but… I wanted to tell you. I had to tell you.”

I was staring at her in shock, my mouth hanging open, my hearts already thudding hard in my chest.

Oh fuck, this was it. The big dramatic scene in every human romcom, the heartfelt confession where they declared their undying love for each other. I wasn’t prepared! There was sweet and sour sauce on the front of my onesie, for fuck’s sake. I wasn’t wearing any pants!

I looked around in wild panic as if I was expecting to see a production crew waiting in the wings to tell me what to do. I almost fell flat on my face as I rolled off the couch in my haste to get up, then accidentally slammed my shin into the coffee table.

“Ow, fuck.” I reached down and rubbed it as I hobbled over to Beryl. Her face had darkened in colour, and she was frozen in place, only her eyes moving as she tracked my approach.

“I’m sorry if I’ve freaked you out,” she croaked. “We can just forget I said it if—”

“I love you too,” I blurted, my ears and hairline spikes going crazy. “I’m… I-I love you too, berry.”

She let out a slow breath, a wide grin spreading across her beautiful, freckled face. “You do? Not just little old ladies?”

I cringed. “Okay, yeah, that wasn’t exactly subtle.”

Taking a deep breath, I reached for her and realised I was still in my true form when I saw the long, curving claws tipping my fingers. I wouldn’t be able to kiss her like this, and I planned on kissing the hell out of her very, very soon, so I shifted before sidling closer to cup her face.

“I think I fell a little bit in love with you the first moment I saw you,” I admitted, then swallowed nervously. “But now I… I love you so much, Beryl. I was worried that it… that it might be too much for you, or make you feel trapped—”

“I don’t feel trapped, Greid.” She reached up and clasped my wrist, a contented smile on her face. “Not with you. Never with you.”

“You… you make me really happy,” I mumbled. “It’s not even about the sex stuff. That’s just a bonus. It’s just you, berry. You’re so… I don’t ever want to…”

I broke off, wanting to squirm with nerves, aware I wasn’t being all that coherent or eloquent. Beryl waited patiently for me to continue, still smiling, her green eyes shining in the candlelight.

“I don’t ever want you to move out,” I blurted.

She huffed. “I wasn’t planning to.”

“And I want you to move into my room. Permanently.” I wasn’t used to taking charge like this, and it was equal parts invigorating and terrifying. I couldn’t help but add, “If you want to. You don’t have to.”

“I want to, Greid.” She took my hand and pressed a kiss to my palm. “I really want to.”

“Okay,” I said shakily, trying to think of anything else I could loftily demand while I was feeling brave.

There wasn’t anything. I just wanted her.

“Greid…” She threaded our fingers together. “You make me happy too. So happy. You make life fun, and I never realised how little fun had been in my life before. You’re my best friend.” She grinned up at me, cheeks still flushed. “You’re my favourite.”

“You’re my favourite too.” I ducked my head to kiss her.

Wanting to retain just a smidgen of dignity during such a life-altering moment, I lifted her into my arms so I wasn’t hunched over like an awkward, lanky goblin. She wrapped her legs around my waist, fingers in my hair as she kissed me back hard and deep, her soft tongue moving languidly against mine.

I took the opportunity to process what had just happened. My hearts were pounding. I felt a little sweaty. My limbs tingled with restless energy, tail flicking wildly against the backs of my legs.

Beryl loved me. Just thinking it made a wide grin stretch my mouth, and I broke the kiss so I wouldn’t accidentally cut her with my teeth. She grinned back, eyes shiny and cheeks sweetly pink. She was so beautiful it made my chest hurt.

Tightening her arms around my neck, she dipped her head to place a tender kiss beneath my jaw. I shuddered with pleasure, gripping her ass tighter to keep her pressed to me. My eyes slid shut as I buried my face in her soft curls.

“Let me take you to bed, Greid,” she murmured, lifting her head and pressing a soft kiss to my mouth. “So I can show you just how much I love you.”

I opened my eyes, letting out a shaky breath. My throat closed up as I rested my forehead against hers and nodded. “I’d love that.”

“Oh fuck.” My eyes rolled back in my head, voice muffled by the pillow my snout was pressed into, as Beryl delivered a particularly firm thrust.

I tugged on the handcuffs keeping me secured to the headboard, just to remind myself that I was restrained. My dick throbbed against the bed, barbs catching on the pre-cum-soaked sheets as Beryl fucked me, one of her hands pressing down on my back while the other was wrapped around the base of my tail, keeping it out of her way.

Every tiny shift of her fingers against the underside of my tail sent sparks of pleasure shooting through my body, but it couldn’t compete with the total bliss pumping through my ass. The dildo’s barbs raked over my prostate, making my legs go weak and my toes flex. I faintly heard the sheets rip as my elongated claws tore through them.

After stripping me naked—which hadn’t taken long, given that I’d only been in socks and my onesie—Beryl had told me to shift back to my true form as she got undressed and reached for her strap-on.

Belly squeezing with excitement, I’d obeyed, my cock bucking in the air when she’d called me a good boy and ordered me to get on the bed face down and hold on to the headboard. I was glad she hadn’t told me to stay quiet this time, because there was no way I would’ve been able to hold back my shaky groans as she licked the underside of my tail before sliding her tongue down to my asshole.

Now, helpless moans punched out of me with every thrust of the dildo in my ass. Beryl’s hips smacked against me as she panted, gripping my tail tighter.

“You look so good like this, Greid,” she told me breathlessly. I shuddered, squeezing my eyes shut when she added, “You’re such a good boy for me, taking this big dick so well.”

“F-f-fuck.” I started to shake, the damp friction of the sheets against my cock making it grow even stiffer and more sensitive. My hips jerked erratically, ass squeezing around the thick length thrusting inside it. “Beryl.”

“You can’t wait, can you?” she purred, squeezing my tail and sliding her fist up and down a few times. “You already want to come, don’t you, greedy boy?”

“Y-y-yes.” My trembling fingers curled around the rattling handcuff chain. “Please, please, please—”

She let out a breathless chuckle, and I groaned in sweet, helpless frustration. That wasn’t an answer! I couldn’t decide if I wanted her to torture me or let me come, and not knowing which she’d pick was making me even more frantic with pleasure.

“Please,” I panted again. “Beryl. I’m going to come. F-f-fuck, I’m going to come.”

She pushed the dildo in deep, grinding her hips against me so the barbs dragged over my prostate. A choked gasp escaped me, my head craning back.

“You can come,” she murmured, then moaned as my whole body stiffened, my teeth closing around the pillow as a guttural, muffled sound burst from me.

“Fuck,” I bit out as my cock started firing against the sheets, asshole twitching around the dildo stretching me open. Pure rapture spread through my limbs, down my legs to my flexing toes, up my trembling arms in their restraints. White noise filled my ears, scalp tingling and belly twitching as the barbs on my sensitive cock rasped against it.

I struggled to suck in enough air until the orgasm stopped and a long, trembling moan left me. I went limp on the bed, my stomach sticking to the sheets from all the cum everywhere. With a drawn-out sigh, I turned my head and smushed my cheek into the pillow, eyes too heavy to open.

My hearts thundered in my chest as Beryl carefully shifted her hips and slid the dildo free. A second later, I felt her warm lips against the twitching base of my tail.

“Are you okay, Greid?” Her voice was low and throaty, causing a shiver to roll through my blissed-out frame.

“Mmm.” I still couldn’t open my eyes, my head and body all floaty, even though I could feel the fluff on the handcuffs tickling my wrists. It kept me grounded just enough, making a big, stupid smile spread across my snout.

I felt the bed dip as Beryl climbed over my splayed legs to sit beside me. My wrists were jostled, and I heard a little click before my arms were suddenly free. They promptly flopped onto the pillow above my head. Warm fingers rubbed soothing circles over my wrists before trailing over my temple.

Beryl huffed in amusement, gently untangling the hair caught in my face spikes. “You’re okay.”

“M’good,” I mumbled, my tail swishing in contentment between my spread thighs. “So good.”

“You are.” She leaned down and kissed the tip of my snout. “Such a good boy.”

I shivered, then arched into her touch when she stroked a soft palm up and down my spine. My brain finally rebooted, starting to come back online, and I lazily rolled onto my back with a stretch.

Beryl was sitting beside me with her legs crossed, the big pink dick still jutting up between her hips, glistening with lube. Her pink nipples were hard little points, and I ran my tongue over my teeth as my gaze snagged on them and refused to budge. My spent cock twitched against my belly.

“I want to make you come, Beryl,” I croaked, my throat a little sore from the sounds she’d ripped from me.

She chuckled, unfurling her legs to stand up. “Let me take this off.”

Renewed energy coursed through my limbs as her ass came into view, looking plump and perfect framed by the black straps. As she loosened the harness and bent over to slip it off, I scrambled off the bed and knelt in front of her.

I couldn’t kiss her soft belly and hips properly in this form, so I nuzzled at the curls between her legs as my palms slid up her thighs. Lifting my gaze to her face, I gave her a pleading look. “Can I? Like this?”

I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to stay in this form, or shift back to the one that was more familiar to her—more human-looking. But she smiled down at me, dropping the strap-on to sift her fingers through my hair.

“Make me come, Greid.” Her eyes darkened as they drifted down to my snout. “It won’t take long.”

Okay, maybe she did like me in this form. My breaths quickened as I rubbed my snout against her belly, then moved higher to lave my tongue over a nipple, moaning at how stiff it already was. I had to sit on my heels and duck my head to reach her pussy, my hands sliding up to palm her ass and tug her closer. She parted her legs so her feet framed my knees, and when my tongue emerged to swipe over her wet pussy, a broken gasp came from above.

I moaned against her, lapping hungrily, my snout strangely sensitive as the tip of it nudged her clit and made her knees almost buckle. My tongue was bigger in this form—wider and flatter, but still ridged—and Beryl really seemed to like it, her legs trembling as she clutched at my hair and moaned with every panting breath.

“Fuck, Greid.” She strained her hips closer so I could wriggle my tongue even deeper, shuddering from how soft and wet she was, from the taste of her. I wanted to rub my face all over her and drench myself in her scent.

I swept my tongue over her cunt, letting her taste drip to the back of my throat, then lapped noisily at her clit, my fingers tightening on her ass. Fuck, I could do this forever.

A guttural sound rumbled up my throat when her hips started to twitch, her fingers clenching tighter in my hair and her moans getting louder and more desperate.

“Don’t stop,” she panted, shoving my snout deeper into her pussy. I moaned desperately against her. “You’re making me come. You… Greid—”

She cried out, legs trembling wildly as her clit pulsed against my tongue. I licked feverishly, a groan vibrating in my chest, and gentled my tongue when her hips began to jerk with sensitivity. Loosening the clawing grip on her ass, I nuzzled the tip of my snout against her clit.

Beryl twitched with a hoarse moan, fingers moving restlessly in my hair. Concentrating, I shifted back to my humanoid form and grinned up at her.

“One more?” I kissed her damp curls before sucking her clit into my mouth.

“Fuck.” Beryl jerked, but pushed my head closer. “One more. Harder.”

More than willing to obey, I increased the suction on her clit with a moan. It didn’t take long for Beryl to start shaking again, a hard groan leaving her as her hips jerked against my face. This time, when the orgasm hit her, her knees did buckle, and I quickly wrapped my arms around her to keep her upright, my mouth still latched on to her pussy.

“O-okay,” she panted, using her grip in my hair to gently tug my head back. “Jesus, Greid.”

Grinning in triumph, I kissed her pubic mound, then quickly pressed a final kiss to her swollen clit before she could stop me. She jerked with a chuckle, taking an unsteady step back.

“God, I need to lie down.” She stumbled over to the bed and collapsed onto it face first.

I followed, slinking my way up her splayed body, kissing the swell of her ass, her spine, the back of her neck. I couldn’t wipe the big grin off my face, and I knew Beryl felt it, because she chuckled as I buried my nose against the bend of her neck.

“Pretty pleased with yourself, huh?”

“Just wanted to show you how much I love you too.” I didn’t think I’d ever get used to being able to say that.

With a little grunt, Beryl twisted onto her back within the cradle of my arms as I leaned over her on all fours. She grinned at me, reaching up to cup my cheeks and squish them. “You’re the best.”

“At eating your pussy?” I asked eagerly.

She laughed, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Yes, but also just in general.”

“Aw, shucks.” I gave her a kiss before flopping onto my back beside her, tucking my hands behind my head. “I mean, I am a Greater Being, right?”

“You’re a great big dork.” She curled into my side, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Sex wizard?”

After a moment of silence, she grunted. “I’ll let you have that one.”

Chuckling, I wriggled an arm around her to play with her hair. “So, did you seriously leave work early just to tell me you love me? That’s like next-level romantic shit. Which is making me super horny again.”

Beryl laughed, but I felt her grow a little tense against me. “Well, actually I… um, I met Agma.”

I went still. That was the last thing I’d expected to hear, so my brain was struggling to process it. “Huh?”

Beryl rose on an elbow to look at me. “She came into the bar for a drink. She overheard me telling Mani about our weekend and clocked that I was talking about you. Then when I served her, she asked me if we were dating.”

“Wow.” I shook my head. “That’s… super weird.”

“Yeah.” Beryl pursed her lips, absently trailing her fingers over my chest. “I, uh, tried to be polite but… we may have ended up arguing a little. Well, it was more like me… telling her off.”

“What?” I burst out laughing. “You told off Agma? About what?”

“About what she did.” Beryl’s eyes were hard as she looked at me. “I told her that telling her friends stuff about you was a shitty thing to do. I didn’t go into specifics, but she obviously knew what I was talking about.”

I sobered, insides squirming with… something. I wasn’t sure how to react to that. “Oh.”

Beryl sighed. “She said she made a mistake. She got drunk and told them after you split up. But that’s not an excuse, and I said as much.”

My breath left me in a sharp puff. “Oh. Right. Okay.”

“I’m sorry, Greid.” She lowered her eyes. “I shouldn’t have—I just got really angry. But she was actually kind of… remorseful, I think. By the end, at least.”

“Well she’s not, like, an evil person, I guess,” I said uneasily. “And you don’t need to be sorry, Beryl. The thought of you defending me like that is actually kinda hot.”

I grinned at her, wanting to erase the uncertain look on her face. After a second her mouth twitched as she rubbed my chest.

“Yeah, well, Mani overheard and took me up to the roof.”

I stared at her. “Eh?”

“She and Ron have a terrace up there. We had a beer and she asked what had happened. And then she…” Beryl shifted uncomfortably. “She told me she knew about the cult.”

“Oh. Shit.” I wanted to grab Beryl and hug her tight, hating the thought of her being upset. I knew how much she worried about the new people in her life finding out about the cult. “Berry—”

“It’s okay, Greid.” She smiled at me. “It was okay. It was… good, actually. It’s kind of a relief.”

“Yeah?” I asked cautiously.

She nodded. “She was really nice about it. She said she doesn’t care at all. But, yeah, she let me go home after that. Which worked out great.” Beryl leaned in to nuzzle my face. “Because I was desperate to come home and tell you I love you.”